Small Towns Cut Down On Patrols

SMELTERVILLE, Idaho - A small town in north Idaho is facing a tough decision due to tough economic times. City officials in Smelterville have voted to do away with Shoshone County Law Enforcement patrols. In part because of a tight budget, but also because officials say they weren't seeing the results of what they were paying for.

It's an issue that has divided this small town, some saying they never saw Shoshone County patrol cars patrolling while others feel it's a bad move with the drug problems in town. It's a decision officials say has to be made. Dennis Rose, a member of the Smelterville City Council said, "What we're not receiving is the patrols. Any kind of a call, they're going to enforce law. The only thing we're not seeing are the patrols."

The decision to drop patrols from the Shoshone County Sheriff's Department came up at a recent Smelterville City Council meeting. Smelterville was paying the Sheriff's Department around $18,000 a year to patrol the streets. But because officials say the city budget is getting tight, and they believed there was already a "lack" of patrols through the city, payment to the Sheriff's office was suspended. The move wont stop authorities from responding to calls in Smelterville.

According to Dennis Rose, "Things are tight. We have bond payments that have to be met. Maybe this will wake them up and we'll get better service. That's what I am hoping for." This isn't by any means a new move for North Idaho, the city of Mullan suspended payment for patrols to the Sheriff's Department around five years ago. Mullan cited budget issues as well.

Shoshone County Sheriff Mitch Alexander was quoted in a local paper as saying, "This will put me in a bind," referring to the department getting less money. Mitch Alexandar was contacted for this story but did not return any messages left.

SPOKANE, Wash. - An elderly North Spokane woman has been living in fear for months. She said an estranged relative abandoned a trailer in her backyard and then took off. She said the trailer has now attracted squatters and all sorts of criminal activity. She said she tried desperately to get it removed without any luck.

SPOKANE, Wash. - An elderly North Spokane woman has been living in fear for months. She said an estranged relative abandoned a trailer in her backyard and then took off. She said the trailer has now attracted squatters and all sorts of criminal activity. She said she tried desperately to get it removed without any luck.

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COLFAX, Wash. - Update 6:23 p.m.: Officials with the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network say a reported explosion near Colfax Monday afternoon may have been the result of a faulty reading related to an earthquake in Montana.

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SPOKANE, Wash. - It's no secret that Spokane is struggling to fight homelessness in a battle that's been going on for years. People are getting passionate about what is and isn't being done about it. On Monday night, the city of Spokane wanted to hear from the community about tackling the problem of homelessness. Over a hundred people came to the meeting.

BREAKING: Charges of fraud and corruption in NCAA basketball have been brought against 10 individuals including coaches. The FBI has arrested ten people, including four college basketball coaches, as well as managers, financial advisors, and representatives of a major international sportswear company in a fraud & corruption probe.

BREAKING: Charges of fraud and corruption in NCAA basketball have been brought against 10 individuals including coaches. The FBI has arrested ten people, including four college basketball coaches, as well as managers, financial advisors, and representatives of a major international sportswear company in a fraud & corruption probe.

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SPOKANE, Wash. - After a house break-in and burglary, one man already had enough on his plate. But then, he found out his dog was missing. “This was his area. This was his spot,” says Sean Copko. Sean got his 9-week-old blue heeler puppy Dale recently. He’s been posting his dog’s picture all over town in the hopes of finding him. “He's a little sweetheart,” he says.